A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

Florida-based VIP Completions has been awarded a maintenance implementation procedure (MIP) designation, a bilateral agreement between the FAA and Transport Canada Civil Aviation that allows it to work on aircraft registered in either country. The MIP authorization simplifies approvals, reduces duplicate paperwork, and facilitates cross-border operations, according to VIP Completions.
While most of the company’s completion projects involve U.S.-based aircraft, the MIP will expand VIP’s capabilities to service and refurbish Canadian aircraft at its Fort Lauderdale headquarters. This opens up the facility to the more than 600 Canadian business aircraft, making it particularly attractive to operators of C-registered aircraft that visit South Florida for business or personal travel, winter operations, and/or maintenance.
“Many C-reg aircraft routinely visit South Florida,” said VIP Completions president Ben Shirazi. “Now we can seamlessly support these aircraft at our client’s destination of choice.”
To demonstrate this, Shirazi’s company just unveiled its first serialized supplemental type certificate completion project for a Canadian customer: a refurbished, four-year-old Bombardier Global 5500&nbsp;“Together with our client, we crafted a refined, contemporary interior, featuring soft tones, elegant textures, and bespoke materials from the world’s most prestigious designers,” explained Shirazi. “The result is a cabin that perfectly embodies artistry, precision, and individuality.&nbsp;We now welcome Canadian aircraft owners to experience the same meticulous craftsmanship and personalized service that have defined our work for more than a decade."

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

VIP Completions Earns Maintenance Clearance from FAA and Transport Canada

The authorization allows it to work on both N-registered and C-registered business aircraft

Florida-based VIP Completions now has bilateral authorization from the FAA and Transport Canada to work on aircraft registered on both sides of the border.

Completions House Cleared For U.S. and Canadian Aircraft

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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